Roosevelt Nix has had a big impact on Kent State's defense

MOBILE, Alabama -- There are quite a few college recruiters, especially those from so-called big schools, who would like to have a do-over when it comes to Roosevelt Nix.

Kent State's Roosevelt Nix (5) has had a strong impact on the Golden Flashes' defense in each of the three seasons he has played at the school. He ranks No. 2 all-time in tackles for a loss and No. 4 all-time in sacks at Kent State. (Photo courtesy of Kent State University.)

The Kent State defensive lineman didn't meet the you-must-be-this-big-to-ride-this-ride measuring stick for serious scholarship consideration out of high school in Reynoldsburg, Ohio. He had the stats and accolades but he didn't have the size -- the height and weight -- that most recruiters at bigger programs prefer.

Nix -- a 5-foot-11, 245-pound junior who is the only freshman to ever be named Mid-American Conference Defensive Player of the Year and is a three-time, first-team All-MAC selection -- has proven it would have been smart to overlook those shortcomings.

He has been especially successful when playing against schools from bigger conferences. Then again, he's always carried a little extra incentive into those games.

"When I play against bigger schools, the prime college programs that we've played against, I always go out with an extra chip on my shoulder,'' said Nix, who will lead the Kent State defense against Sun Belt Conference champion Arkansas State in Sunday's GoDaddy.com Bowl.

"Any of those schools, those that told me something I didn't want to hear, that just gives me a little more juice. You never like being told something you can't do when you know you can do it. Every time I step out on the field my dad tells me, 'You've got to be the best you can be and the best on the field.' That's what I like to do.''

Often, Nix has reached those standards. he enters Sunday's game at Ladd-Peebles Stadium ranked No. 2 in career tackles for a loss at Kent State with 51.5. He ranks No. 4 in career sacks all-time at Kent State with 20.5.

This season, Nix has collected 14.5 tackles for a loss and six sacks. He is the team's No. 5 tackler with 54 total stops, 35 of those being solo tackles. Nix has also produced two pass breakups, six quarterback hurries, two pass deflections, three forced fumbles and he has recovered one fumble.

"Out of high school I was told I was too short to play at the big schools,'' Nix said. "I just really wanted to get my recruiting process over quick because I knew what I could do on the field. I just needed somebody to give me an opportunity. There were a lot of MAC schools that offered me but Kent offered me first. I just felt at home with the whole coaching staff so I told them, 'Y'all were the first ones that offered me and you didn't care how tall I was' and I didn't care about the past (records at Kent). 'We'll turn it around here,' I said.

"I like to look back at it and say it doesn't matter how big you are. Those big schools, I know some of them are kicking themselves because they said I was too short, especially when they look at what I've done against the bigger schools. I just take it with a grain of salt because I knew what I was capable of doing and that's what I came here to do.''

His first two seasons at KSU the team struggled at times. This season, the Golden Flashes have a school-record 11 wins with a chance to add to that number with a win over Arkansas State. This is the season Nix always expected the Flashes to produce.

"It was just a great year,'' he said. "A lot of things came together. I want to say it was our time. It was finally our time to show everybody that this is what we've been working for at Kent. We've worked at it and we're going to stay with it too.

"The individual accolades, they're always great. But when you're team gets ranked - I don't know if that's ever happened at Kent before - but right now we're the No. 25 team (in the country). It puts a different weight on the back of everybody on the team. Everybody is like 'We came here to play football and now we're playing football and great things are happening.'''

There will be pressure on the Kent State defense to stop a potent Arkansas State offense in Sunday's GoDaddy.com Bowl. Nix said he and his defensive brethren are ready for the challenge.

"Arkansas State has a great offense,'' he said. "We've always been able to step up to the challenge. We've never been scared to take on those challenges. I think as a defense, we have been consistent and we play as one. It's 11 people playing as one. Everybody tries to do their job and if somebody makes a good play you'll always see the other guys on the defense congratulate him. That's just the presence we have established on the defensive side of the ball. We trust one another.''

Along with the trust, the Flashes have developed confidence this season, Nix added.

"You've got to take it and just sit down and think about it,'' he said. "There's so much stuff that has been negative about Kent State football (in the past). Just to be that team that everybody's going to talk about, just like we talk about the '72 team, that's special. We know we're making history and we're never going to be forgotten.''